Lou Vest is a retired Houston Ship Channel Pilot who shares a story from the ship channel and a close call with another vessel. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories from Lou!
Similar Posts
My Maritime Story Scavenger Hunt
Never been on the sea? Don’t think you have a maritime story? Think again! Use this activity to introduce your students to the concept of “maritime”. Check out our Houston Ship Channel Module or Museum Day education resources and see how you can carry your student’s interests even further.
Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 3
The Voyage Home Being at sea on a merchant ship is like what they say about flying – 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror. The routine of life at sea is highly regulated by the watch cycle and other duties The average voyage in those days was about 3 months, and one quickly falls into…
Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 2
The Straights of Gibraltar and Into the Mediterranean It was 2 o’clock in the morning and the sound-powered telephone next to my bunk – a truly obnoxious machine – started jangling like a demented alarm clock. Sound asleep after coming off watch at midnight, I was in no mood to be polite but didn’t get…
Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 5
After four stories about my life at sea as a midshipman from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a bit of background about that fine school might be in order. The purpose of the school was (and still is) to provide the country a highly trained group of officers who could lead the American merchant fleet…
Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 4
People who take to the sea During my second and third years at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1974-75), I spent twelve months at sea on various U.S. flag merchant ships. I’ve written three stories about the Captain of the second of those ships – the SS Export Adventurer. As important as he was to…